My name is Tom Riddle
by Tiddle
Summary: What if Harry found Tom's journal instead of Ginny in his second year? Perhaps Harry would find out that he and the young Dark Lord have much more in common than he thought. Rated M for future HP/TMR slash.
1. Chapter 1

The summer before Harry's second year at Hogwarts had certainly not been his favorite. Besides being harassed by a house elf that was stealing his letters from his friends, he'd also been unfortunate enough to run into Draco and his father while shopping for books at Diagon Alley with the Weasley family. Lucius, thinking he was very clever, started an argument with Arthur Weasley and attempted to slip a book into Ginny's pile while she was distracted. Years of being forced into the background, however, had made Harry very observant and he noticed the slight of hand right away. Once Lucius and his annoying spawn took their leave, Harry carefully slipped the book into his own pile.

Later that evening after everyone had gone to bed, Harry decided to inspect the book that Lucius had been so intent on giving Ginny. It was black with bronze corners and Harry deduced that it was a Journal after seeing 'Tom Marvolo Riddle' inscribed on the front cover. Despite its plain appearance, Harry opened the book with hesitation. Nothing coming from Malfoy could possibly be good, he figured.

The pages were slightly orange tinted due to age, but other than that there wasn't a mark to be found inside the book. After staring at it for a good while and debating with himself, Harry dipped his quill in an inkpot and started writing.

' _My name is Harry Potter.'_

To Harry's surprise, the ink soaked into the paper and left no sign that it had been there to begin with. To Harry's even greater surprise, the book began to write back!

' _Hello Harry Potter. My name is Tom Riddle.'_

Harry watched as the elegant handwriting began to fade. Why had Malfoy given Ginny a talking book? Who was Tom Riddle? He decided that the only way to find the answers to his questions was to ask Mr. Riddle himself.

 _'_ _Lovely to meet you Tom. May I ask how you came to be in a book?'_ He was talking to an inanimate object, but Harry saw no reason not to be polite.

' _A series of circumstances lead to my being stuck in here. I will say that I came to be in this book entirely of my own volition. How old are you, Harry Potter?'_

Harry was no fool. It was obvious that Tom was skirting around his question.

 _'_ _I'm twelve. I just turned twelve, in fact. I'll be returning to Hogwarts for my second year in a few days.'_

' _I go to Hogwarts as well Harry. Or, I did. Can you tell me what year it is?'_

' _It's 1992.'_ Harry paused and waited for Tom to respond.

 _'_ _Ah… Then I've been in here a great while. It was 1943 when I put myself in this journal.'_ Harry raised his eyebrows as the page went back to being blank. So not only was Tom a person stuck in a book, but he had been there for 50 years or so. Harry couldn't imagine what that must feel like.

' _Are you okay Tom? It can't have been easy being in there all this time…'_ Harry really did feel for the other boy. He knew how it felt to be stuck and alone.

' _Thank you for your concern, but for me it feels as if no time has passed. When I did the ritual to put myself here I made sure that I would sleep when the book is closed. I didn't fancy the idea of eternal loneliness.'_ Harry thought that was probably smart. But it brought up another question.

' _Why would you want to be in a book in the first place?'_

 _'_ _I'm sorry Harry, but this is the most interaction I've had in a long time and it's made me quite tired. Can I sleep a while?'_ Harry scowled at the book. Tom was actively avoiding any and all questions regarding him being in a journal. He considered the fact that Tom Riddles journal was in his possession and not going anywhere, so he decided not to press the issue. Harry had all the time in the world to get more answers.

' _Sure, we can talk more tomorrow if you're up to it. Goodnight Tom.'_

' _Goodnight Harry. I look forward to getting to know you.'_

With that Harry carefully closed the book and began to think over the conversation. Nothing about Tom or the journal seemed dangerous outright. He couldn't yet think of any reason as to why Lucius Malfoy would want Ginny to have it. Since Tom obviously didn't want to talk about his reasons for locking himself away, Harry decided that he would have to word his questions very carefully next time in hopes of discovering more.

Harry blew out his lantern and went to sleep in the bed next to Ron's. He wouldn't remember it when he woke up the next morning, but he had a dream about a tall brunette boy with stunning amber eyes…

 **AN- Sorry for the short first chapter! I just really wanted to push this out while the idea was fresh in my mind. I've read other stories where Harry gets ahold of Tom's journal, but they always end up having some sort of time travel involved and I'm not a huge fan of that. I'm personally interested in how Harry's life would have changed had he kept Tom's journal instead of destroying it. If you're curious as well, stay tuned(: I have a lot of time on my hands right now so I plan on pumping chapters out pretty quickly!**


	2. Chapter 2

Over the course of the next few days, Harry found himself unable to keep his promise to Tom. Between preparing to go back to school and Ron's excited chatter, he just couldn't find the time to write in the diary. Harry felt a bit guilty but remembered that Tom slept while the book was closed. The boy had been asleep for fifty years. What were a few more days?

Harry kept the journal out of sight until he got back to school. He had quite a story to tell Tom, so he excused himself from dinner early and ran to the boy's dorm in the Gryffindor wing of the castle. He sat on his bed, lit a candle and opened the black book. He waited a moment to see if the Tom's lovely script would grace the page, but nothing happened.

' _Tom?'_ He started hesitantly. He had a growing, churning fear in his stomach that nothing would happen. Maybe he'd waited too long. Maybe the magic had finally left the book and Tom was no longer in existence. Maybe he'd missed his chance to discover the secrets of the journal.

' _Hello Harry.'_ Harry let out a massive sigh of relief. He hadn't even noticed that he'd been holding his breath.

' _I'm sorry I didn't get back to you as quickly as I said I would. Things were really busy at the borough and I couldn't find a minute to myself.'_ Harry wasn't sure why he was apologizing. He was fully aware that Tom probably didn't have the capability to notice the passing of time. He was, after all, stuck in a book.

' _Don't fret Harry. I understand. I dreamed for the first time in a very long time while you were away. It was quite lovely.'_ Harry took a moment to ponder that. Tom could dream? This whole situation was making less and less sense. How could a magical book boy who had no sense of time have dreams?

' _What did you dream about?'_ Harry pried.

'I dreamt of _a small boy with messy dark hair and bright green eyes. It was just a flash of an image though. I hope the dreams get longer. It was a very nice experience.'_

' _Oh um. Well… This is going to sound strange, but I'm a small boy with dark hair and bright green eyes. My eyes are all people talk about when they meet me for the first time, actually. How is it that you saw me?'_

' _That is a tad unexpected. Did you dream of me, Harry?'_ Harry sat back against his headboard and thought. Had he dreamt of Tom? He'd never been very good at remembering dreams. If he had dreamt of the other boy the memory was now fuzzy at best.

Harry had a sudden thought and asked, ' _Are your eyes… red, by chance?'_

' _Ha, I guess you could call them that. Most people have described them as an amber color. So then, you did dream of me?'_

' _Yeah, I guess so…'_ Harry replied sheepishly.

' _I think I might be flattered.'_ Harry blushed. He wasn't sure how to respond to that so he changed the subject.

' _I forgot to mention; I'm back at Hogwarts! It was difficult getting here. There's this house elf who's been stalking me and I think he charmed the platform to get to the train so that it wouldn't let us in-'_

' _Slow down Harry. A house elf is stalking you? That's very strange behavior for a house elf. They can't do anything without their masters say so.'_

' _Yeah, I know. That's what he kept saying. The thing was bloody bonkers if you ask me.'_

' _So, how did you end up getting to school?'_

' _We flew! Ron's dad- Sorry, Ron's my best friend. Anyway Ron's dad has this obsession with muggle objects and he's charmed a car to fly. We took it all the way here, but we crash-landed straight into some spiders. I didn't mention it at the time, but I'm pretty sure Ron peed his trousers. Spiders really aren't his thing.'_ Harry felt a little bad for telling Ron's secret, but really, who was Tom going to tell?

' _Ha ha! You live a charmed life mister Potter. I'm just glad you got there safely. Who would I talk to if you'd been eaten by spiders?'_

' _Maybe you'd go to Ginny like you were supposed to.'_ Harry realized that he'd gotten too comfortable with the conversation. He'd meant to bring that topic up much more smoothly.

' _May I ask who Ginny is? What do you mean I was meant to go to her?'_

' _Erm… Well, do you know someone named Malfoy by any chance?'_ This was as good a time as any to figure out why Lucius was trying to plant the journal on the youngest Weasley.

' _I know of the Malfoy family. They're pureblooded and very well respected. Why?'_

' _I was in Diagon Alley getting books when I saw Lucius Malfoy plant your journal on Ron's little sister. Do you have any idea why a member of the Malfoy family would have your diary?'_

' _It's a journal Harry. Diaries are for girls.'_ Harry sighed. That was hardly the point.

' _Anyway,'_ Tom continued, ' _I can't say for sure why someone in the Malfoy family would have the journal. I will admit that it took dark magic to put myself here. It's possible that he just wanted to get rid of it. Do Malfoy and your friends family like each other?'_

' _Not one bit, no.'_ Harry deadpanned.

' _Have you considered that perhaps he was killing two birds with one stone? He got rid of something incriminating and was probably trying to bring down a family he despises by pinning it on them.'_

Harry let that sink in. If the book was made from dark magic and could easily bring down a family, didn't that mean he could get in a lot of trouble just by having it on his person?

' _Tom, why did you use dark magic? Isn't that bad? I've heard that it can hurt you.'_

' _Knowledge is power Harry. If you have enough knowledge and enough power, a little dark magic is hardly a problem.'_ Harry had never heard this perspective before. As far as he knew, performing dark magic basically instantly turned you evil. And really, what was the defining factor that made dark magic dark? Harry didn't know. No one talked about these things.

' _What house are you in Harry?' Tom inquired._

' _I'm in Gryffindor.'_

' _Ha, that explains it then. Slytherin is more open minded to the powers of dark magic than most of the other houses.'_ Harry grimaced. Tom was in Slytherin? …Gross.

' _The sorting hat wanted to put me in Slytherin. I begged him not to. I'd heard that all the evil wizards and witches came from Slytherin. I didn't want to be evil.'_

' _Do I seem evil Harry?'_

' _Well no, but-'_

' _There is a difference between being evil and being driven.'_ Harry couldn't argue with that.

' _I'm sorry to cut the conversation short again, but I'm beginning to get very sleepy… It seems that talking like this takes a lot out of me.'_

' _It's okay. You lasted much longer than last time. Maybe you're getting stronger?'_ Harry wondered to himself if it was bad that Tom was seemingly getting stronger, but at the same time he liked talking to Tom. If getting stronger meant they could talk for longer periods of time, what was the harm?

' _Yes, I think you're right. Goodnight Harry. I hope your first night back at school will be a good one. Do try not to run into anymore giant spiders.'_ Harry chuckled. It was nice that Tom had a sense of humor.

' _Sleep well.'_

Harry shut the book and put it under his mattress just in time. The door to the boy's dorm flew open and Ron, Seamus and Neville traipsed in.

"Harry, you missed desert! What was so urgent?!" Ron asked.

"We nearly got expelled Ron! I just needed a minute to let my heart settle down. I don't fancy the idea of living with the Dursley's full time." Harry lied. He hated lying, especially to his best friend, but Tom's journal felt like a secret he had to keep. He knew that Ron would be upset that Malfoy had tried to hurt his little sister and Hermione would demand he turn it in to the head master. That simply wasn't something he could do.

"You got me there mate. Anyway, I snuck some pumpkin pie back with me from dinner for you." Ron pulled out a folded cloth from underneath his robe and handed it to his friend. That definitely didn't make him feel any better. He thanked the other boy and started to settle in, unpacking as his friends started to chat amongst themselves.

"Did you see Hermione at dinner? I think she got kind of hot." Seamus whispered to Neville.

"Yuck, don't be gross Seamus. Hermione isn't a girl." Ron yelled. Both Seamus and Neville smiled at each other and started to unpack as well.

For the first time in months, Harry felt normal. This is how things should be.

* * *

Over the course of the next few weeks, Harry wrote to Tom on a nightly basis. Each night Tom was able to talk for a little bit longer, which was kind of becoming a problem because it was keeping Harry up well into the night.

Harry was spending the evening in the common room with Ron and Hermione. He couldn't stop tapping his foot, however, and the anxiety did not go unnoticed.

"Is something wrong Harry?" Hermione asked. Harry immediately realized his mistake and stopped tapping.

"Sorry, no. I'm just… tired." Harry smiled nervously and looked at his shoes. He was really not good at this lying thing.

"Well obviously you're tired mate. Why don't you go to bed? You've had a big day." Ron wasn't wrong. Harry _did_ have a big day and that's exactly why he wanted to run to his room and talk to Tom.

"Do you guys mind if I turn in early?" Harry made a big show of yawning and stretching out his arms.

"Of course not Harry. Just don't forget your coursework for Defense Against the Dark Arts. Lockhart wants a 10 page report on how amazing he is for defeating a Banshee." Harry didn't miss the contention in Hermione's voice. Professor Lockhart had quickly become the bane of her existence.

Harry didn't dawdle as he bid his friends a goodnight and ran up the stairs to his bed. Neville was already sound asleep so he tried to be particularly quiet as he slipped the journal out from under his bed and lit a candle.

' _Tom!'_ He wrote excitedly.

' _Harry!'_ Tom mocked.

' _You don't get to be an arse just because you're four years older than me."_ Harry wrote, hoping the humor came across in his words.

' _I'm pretty sure that's exactly what that means. Why are you so excited?'_

' _Today we had a lesson in dueling. I was paired up with none other than Draco Malfoy and he summoned a snake! The snake started to attack Justin Finch Fletchley so I told it to stop, and it stopped!"_ Harry had wanted to talk to Tom about this since the moment it happened. In a way, Tom Riddles journal had become his own. There was something downright therapeutic about talking to Tom.

' _Harry, are you trying to tell me you spoke to a snake?'_

' _Yes, exactly! I told it what to do and it did it. That's not the first time either. Before I came to Hogwarts, I accidentally removed the glass of on a tank and freed a python after speaking with it. Then I locked Dudley in the tank, but that's not important right now.'_ It was a story that Harry was still very fond of, actually.

' _Harry, you're a parselmouth.'_

' _Yes I know! Hermione told me after everyone freaked out. Apparently it's really rare.'_

' _Hermione is your muggle born friend yes? Hm. Smarter than I would have assumed for a muggle born. Not many people know about Parselmouths.'_ Harry didn't like that comment but he ignored it. This wasn't the first time that Tom had said something snide about muggle borns. Harry figured hearing about all the great muggle borns that he knew might change Tom's tune eventually.

' _How do you know about them? Supposedly Salazar Slytherin's family are the only people who can speak Parseltongue, but I've spent some time looking back at my fathers family line and I've never seen any inclination that I'm related to him. It's really very strange.'_

' _You're right Harry, it is strange. What's stranger is that I'm also a parselmouth. But unlike you, my mother's side of the family did descend from Salazar Slytherin. I am… was… his heir.'_ Harry's jaw dropped. For a moment Harry questioned the legitimacy of his claim, but why would Tom lie? Not to mention that kind of explained Tom's negative comments towards muggle borns. Slytherin was notorious for not trusting them. Harry once again found himself wondering if becoming close to Tom was a good idea. He kept finding out more and more information that made him doubt his decision, but Tom was so nice to him… The other boy genuinely seemed to care.

' _How did you find all this out?'_ Harry asked.

' _I grew up in an orphanage and I'd never met my parents. There, I'd be approached by snakes. They seemed drawn to me somehow. Perhaps they could sense that I could talk to them. I'm honestly still not sure. Anyway, when Professor Dumbledore came to take me to Hogwarts, I spent much of my time after that researching my family history. I was unhappy to find that my father had been a muggle, but my mother was a pureblood from Slytherin's line. After I found that out, it was obvious why I could speak to snakes and others couldn't.'_ Tom explained.

' _You know, Dumbledore isn't just a professor anymore. He's the headmaster of Hogwarts now.'_ Harry always tried his best to keep Tom up to date on how things had changed.

'… _Of course he is.'_ Why did he sound so disappointed? While Harry was pondering Tom's strange reaction, Ron walked into the dorm. Harry snapped the book shut quickly and tried to hide it under his pillow, but he wasn't fast enough.

"Harry is that… a diary?" The redhead mused. "Is that why you've been going to bed so early? Hermione was started to think you had a girlfriend or something. You're no good at keeping secrets."

"Well… erm… It's not a diary Ron. It's a journal. Diaries are for girls." Harry really hoped he didn't question him any further. It was completely out of character for Harry to write down his thoughts and feelings.

"Whatever mate. It's none of my business if you want to write about your secret crush on Lockhart." Harry threw his pillow at his friend for that.

"Speaking of Lockhart, we have a report to do." Ron groaned.

"Why did Dumbledore hire that prat? Who cares how many books he's written about himself?" Harry and Ron fell into their usual banter and the journal, fortunately, didn't come up again.

This was the first time Harry hadn't said goodbye before ending his conversation with Tom. He really hoped that the older boy wouldn't be mad…

* * *

 **Many apologies if there are any typos. I got my wisdom teeth out today so I'm pretty tired, but after seeing how many people had followed my story I didn't want to disappoint! Hope you guys like the new chapter! I'm going to try to get through Harry's early years fairly quickly so be prepped for that.**


	3. Chapter 3

"Dobby, what the hell?!" Harry was bedridden in the hospital wing. While he'd won his Quidditch match, he couldn't say he felt like much of a winner after Lockhart accidentally removed the bones from his right arm.

"Dobby only wants to help, Harry Potter sir! You _must_ leave Hogwarts!"

"Dobby, I've been here for months. Has anything bad happened? Anything at all? Well, besides you making me fall and Lockhart removing my bones?" Harry asked, his voice dripping with exasperation

"…Well, no but-"

"Dobby I'm only going to tell you this one more time," Harry started to remove his trousers and socks as he spoke, which was no easy task with only one arm, "You HAVE to leave me alone! The only one who has brought me any misfortune this year is you."

"You is right, sir. Dobby is a bad elf!" Harry grabbed the self destructive elf's hands with his one good one before Dobby could start yanking his ears or hitting himself in the face. Dobby started up at him, wide eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"You don't have to punish yourself Dobby. You just have to stop… harassing me. The reason you can't tell me what's wrong with me being at school is because your master banned you, correct?"

Dobby nodded ferociously.

"Well, what if you were removed from your masters service? How could we go about that?" Harry pondered allowed. He knew basically nothing about house elves, which was a tad ignorant on his part. He should have asked Hermione about them when Dobby first started hounding him.

"Sir! Masters would never set Dobby free! Dobby will serve his masters until he dies, sir…" At this point the tears started running freely.

"Well just out of curiosity, if they _did_ want to set you free, how would they do it?" Harry pushed.

"Well, to free a house elf you must present them with clothes, sir." Harry's eyebrows rose. Really? It was that easy? How on earth was Dobby able to do laundry if he couldn't touch clothes? Harry kept his questions to himself for fear of being rude.

"Okay, then here." Harry picked up the sock he'd shed earlier from next to his bed and handed it to the small elf.

Dobby's tears instantly stopped.

"You would… free Dobby? After Dobby has done nothing but cause you grief? Dobby has heard of your greatness, sir, but never your kindness." Dobby hesitantly reached his hand out and grabbed the sock, bringing it to his chest tightly. He began to sob quietly again.

"You can tell me now, right? There's nothing stopping you?" Harry prodded. It took a few moments for Dobby to gather himself before he could start explaining. Harry had no idea what his kind gesture meant to the elf.

"Well sir, Dobby overheard his master talking about hurting Harry Potter this year, as well as many of the muggle-borns who go to Hogwarts. I do not know what methods he intended to use, sir, but I do know Master Lucius is very upset that his plans have not progressed as they should." Dobby's eyes dropped back to the sock, which he stroked lovingly. Harry held back a noise of disgust. He really wished he'd had a chance to wash the damn thing before he'd given it to Dobby.

"Wait, Lucius? Lucius is the cause of all of this? Why am I not surprised..." Harry trailed off. While this was all definitely concerning, Harry was pleased to know that whatever Lucius had been attempting hadn't worked thus far.

"Dobby, I need to get some rest." Harry stated. He stared intently at the house elf, hoping he'd take the hint.

"Well, erm… Dobby has nowhere to go now sir. Dobby normally stays with the other servants at Malfoy Manor…" Dobby stared at his feet, embarrassed.

"Oh, you're right. Why don't you go speak with Dumbledore? Tell him I freed you and sent you to him." Harry wasn't positive that Dumbledore would be able to do anything, but he felt somewhat responsible for the elf now.

Dobby started to jump up and down excitedly.

"Harry Potter is such a good Wizard! If Mister Harry Potter ever needs anything, anything at all, he should call on Dobby! Dobby will come straight away. Dobby owes you for his freedom, sir."

"Okay, sounds… great." With that, there was a loud crack as Dobby vanished. While the elf annoyed him to no end, Harry appreciated Dobby's good motives. Plus, now he knew to keep an eye out for Lucius' antics.

Harry leaned over and grabbed Tom's journal from his bag. He had much to tell the other boy.

' _Tom!'_ Harry realized this was going to take a while. He had never tried using his left hand to write before.

' _Harry? Is that you or a five year old?'_ Harry assumed Tom was referring to the awful handwriting.

' _Be quiet. This is hard enough to do as it is. Long story short, I fell off my broom playing Quidditch and my arm broke. My dunce of a teacher removed my bones instead of mending them.'_ Harry wrote slowly.

' _Oh my. Good luck, friend. Growing bones back is no simple task.'_ Harry scowled. Madam Pomfrey would be coming by with the potion to grow his bones back any minute now. He was not at all excited about the pain he'd likely have to endure that night.

' _Yeah. That's what the nurse said too. Anyway, I just had a chat with that house elf, Dobby. Guess what he said?'_

' _I'd really prefer you just tell me.'_

' _You're no fun. Basically, Lucius was the reason the house elf wouldn't leave me alone. He was Dobby's master all along. So I freed him, and he told me he overheard Lucius say he was out to get me this year. I guess his plans haven't worked out for him though.'_ Harry explained.

' _You freed a house elf? Harry. You know how when a baby duckling hatches and attaches itself to the first thing it sees? That's how freed house elves act. You'll never be able to shake him now.'_ Tom seemed to find this incredibly funny. Harry, however, was not so amused by this news. He sighed heavily and continued.

' _Anyway. I wonder what Lucius' plan was? Do you think it had something to do with him giving you to Ginny?'_ This thought had only just occurred to Harry. If giving the journal to Ginny could somehow hurt Harry as well as all of the muggle-borns in school, maybe he really should turn the journal over to the Headmaster.

' _I really don't know Harry. You were the first person to use my book in roughly 50 years. If Lucius Malfoy had intended to use me, I haven't a clue how.'_ Harry wondered for the first time if Tom was lying. If Tom had done anything even slightly evil up to this point, he may have seriously considered that he was being manipulated somehow. But as of now, Tom had been nothing but pleasant. He even seemed to consider Harry a friend. Harry decided to try asking Tom about himself one more time. Maybe if he knew more about the boy, he could decide whether or not he trusted him.

' _Why are you in this book, Tom?_ Harry waited for a few moments, but got no response.

' _Tom?'_

' _Do you know why ghosts choose to be ghosts, Harry?'_

' _Because they don't want to die?'_

' _Yes. That's why I'm in this book Harry. I didn't… don't want to die."_ Harry hadn't expected any answer at all, let alone one so honest.

' _Oh.'_ Was all Harry could think to say.

Harry heard footsteps in the other room. Madam Pomfrey had retrieved the potion, it seemed.

' _Pomfrey is coming back to heal my arm. I have to go.'_

' _Well, thanks for saying bye this time. Write to me again when your arm heals?'_ So Tom had noticed the other night when he'd ended the conversation without saying goodbye. Harry made a note of this and would try to say goodbye no matter what in the future.

' _Of course. Goodnight Tom.'_

' _Goodnight Harry.'_

With that, Harry shut the journal and put it away. While he waited for Madam Pomfrey, he decided that should Tom ever start to seriously concern him, he would turn the book over to Dumbledore. Even if it pained him to do so.

"Potter? It's time. Are you ready?" Madam Pomfrey asked as she walked toward his bed.

"As I'll ever be…"

* * *

The rest of the year was relatively uneventful. Harry never dropped his guard, but his paranoia seemed unwarranted. He kept an eye on Draco Malfoy specifically, but all that had accomplished was causing a few off color gay jokes from Draco.

Harry focused on his course work and his friends since the world didn't seem to need him to save it that year. He talked with Tom as often as he could, but unfortunately he couldn't make time every day. This didn't seem to bother Tom though, as his dreams were getting more and more vivid each time they wrote. Harry pitied the boy in the book, so he was very pleased to know that Tom's life, if you could call it a life, was getting better because of him. He told Tom everything, from his deepest insecurities to idle gossip. The older boy soaked in all that he said and never seemed bored with the conversations.

When Harry bid farewell to his friends and his school for the summer, his heart didn't feel as empty as it had the year prior when he'd had to go back to the Dursley's. He had Tom this time, so he wouldn't be alone.

* * *

 **Hey guys. Been a long year, hasn't it? To be perfectly honest I'd pretty much planned to abandon this story until my sister encouraged me to continue it.**

 **But I need help staying motivated! Leave a review and let me know you want to read more(: I already have chapter 4 started! Keep in mind that I'm still planning on breezing through his younger years because quite frankly, they're boring.**

 **~Tiddle~**


	4. Chapter 4

Unlike Harry's second year, his third was incredibly eventful. Between fending off Dementors, learning that Sirius Black was his godfather, and the time traveling he had to do to save everyone he loved, Harry was exhausted. But Tom was there for him every step of the way. Harry could easily say that he had three best friends now instead of two.

It was getting harder and harder to justify keeping Tom a secret from Ron and Hermione, but every time he considered revealing the journal to them he could easily picture how the scenario would go down. First, they'd be hurt that Harry had kept such a big secret from them for two whole years. Then they'd lecture him until his ears began to bleed. When he thought of it like that, he figured he was doing everyone involved a favor by keeping this secret to himself.

Harry was at the Dursley's again but his stay this summer would be blissfully short. Ron had invited him to the Quidditch World Cup and for reason's Harry did not know, his Uncle had agreed to let him go. Today, however, was his birthday. His birthday's had always been a source of depression for Harry, though Ron and Hermione's gifts every year definitely softened the blow of spending them alone. After doing a bit of his homework, Harry decided to spend the remainder of his birthday talking with Tom. He'd been having awfully strange dreams lately.

' _Sleep well?'_ Harry started.

 _'Incredibly so. Happy birthday, Harry.'_

 _'You remembered!'_

 _'I live in a book, Harry. There's very little that I have to keep track of.'_ Harry had long ago gotten used to Tom's sassy attitude. It actually amused him quite a bit.

 _'Yes well, I'm 14 now. Soon enough I'll be older than you.'_

 _'That's an odd thought, isn't it?'_ It really was. When Harry first found the journal, Tom's age had been intimidating. Harry had sometimes felt like Tom was an older brother figure. Now that he was getting older, however, he was starting to feel like he and Tom were on the same page maturity wise.

' _Technically you'll always have 50 years on me. Anyway, you know how I told you about my scar a few months ago? I had a dream about the dark wizard who gave it to me last night. When I woke up, my scar was burning. It hasn't hurt me like that since first year when I came into contact with him.'_ Harry had been purposely vague in regards to his connection with Voldemort when he spoke with Tom. Voldemort's existence always felt like a dark cloud looming over him and he hated talking about it. The time he spent with Tom felt like a much needed break from the fact that a madman wanted Harry dead.

 _'I recall you mentioning someone hurt you as a baby. Why does your scar hurt when this person is around? Was the scar created through magic?'_ This conversation was starting to go in a direction Harry didn't like. It's not that he wanted to keep that part of his life from Tom, it was just nice having someone who didn't know him as the boy who lived. It had been two years, however, so Harry decided it was finally time to let Tom know about his past.

' _I have to tell you something. Promise you won't get mad?'_ Harry wrote hesitantly.

 _'In the nearly two years we've known each other, have I gotten upset with you even once?'_

 _'One time you got a little annoyed because I didn't say goodbye before shutting the journal. But other than that... nope.'_

 _'Yes well, that's because it was annoying. What do you have to say to me?'_ Tom inquired.

' _There's a lot more to my scar than I've led on. I'm sort of famous in the wizarding world for outliving the dark wizard that gave it to me.'_ Harry stopped there, waiting to see how Tom took the information.

 _'...What?'_ Harry frowned. This wasn't going to be easy.

 _'When I was just a baby, a powerful, evil man decided he had to kill me. My parents went into hiding, but he found us. Remember last year when we found out that Sirius hadn't been the one to cause my parents death? It was actually Ron's rat, Peter? Well, Peter betrayed my parents and the madman found us. He killed my father, then my mother died trying to protect me... The scar on my forehead is there because he used Avada Kedavra on me. Something about my mothers sacrifice made the blast bounce back and kill him instead. I'm famous for surviving the killing curse and for accidentally killing the most powerful wizard at the time.'_ Harry could have gone into more detail, but he didn't want Tom to think he was fishing for sympathy.

 _'Harry... why didn't you tell me all of this a long time ago?'_

 _'It's not that I didn't trust you or anything like that. It was just nice not having to talk about it.'_

 _'I understand. I'm not mad. Can I ask a few questions though?'_ Harry smiled and sat back in his chair. Only Tom could hear all of that and still respond reasonably.

 _'Yes, go ahead. Ask whatever you want.'_

' _Well, you said you fought this dark wizard in your first year at Hogwarts. How is it you fought him if you killed him as a baby?'_

 _'Oh, yeah I guess that doesn't make sense. We're still not entirely sure how, but I guess he was powerful enough to figure out a way to keep himself from dying. When I finally came face to face with him in my first year, you couldn't even call him human. He'd attached himself to the back of the head of one of his minions. So he's still out there somewhere, he just doesn't seem to have a permanent body.'_ Harry explained.

' _So your scar. It keeps the two of you connected? You feel pain when he's around or when you dream of him?'_

 _'Yes, exactly.'_ Tom was catching on quickly.

' _So then this connection could have given you some of his power, right? Or perhaps some aspects of him?'_

 _'Erm... Sure. In theory. That's actually why my friends and I think I'm a pareseltongue. The dark wizard who tried to kill me was one as well.'_ Harry expected Tom to get excited about this information since they so often talked about their shared ability to speak to snakes. Because of Tom, Harry intended on asking Dumbledore if he could have one as a pet as well as Hedwig. Snakes weren't on the list of pets allowed at Hogwarts, but Harry thought Dumbledore might make an exception for Harry. He'd done it so often in the past, may as well abuse it once in a while.

To Harry's surprise, it took a few minutes for Tom to respond. When he finally did, it was just one short question.

' _What was the wizards name?'_

 _'I don't think he was a big deal in your timeline so you probably won't know his name. He goes by Lord Voldemort, but these days people act like his name is a dirty word.'_ Harry said flippantly.

Then something happened that had never happened before.

Tom didn't respond. Harry gave it a few minutes before prodding him.

' _Tom?'_

Silence.

' _Tom? Are you there?'_

Nothing.

Why had he vanished? Normally if Tom was getting worn out he'd tell Harry. He'd never just disappeared. Was it something he'd said?

After writing in the journal a few more times, Harry gave up and put the book to the side. He kept it open in hopes that he'd glance over and see Tom's pretty script. He decided to write Sirius and tell him about his dreams while he waited. If it was possible that these dreams were anything more than just dreams then he had to take it seriously. Perhaps his godfather would be more responsive than Tom had been that night.

After he finished writing his letter and sent Hedwig off with it, he sat down in front of the journal once again. The pages were still blank.

 _'Goodnight Tom.'_

* * *

Harry tried tirelessly to get Tom to speak with him over the next few weeks. He was confused, concerned, and he was starting to get increasingly irritated. Tom's magic better have run out because if Harry found out that Tom was purposely ignoring him he was going to give book boy a piece of his mind.

So much had happened that he wanted to talk to Tom about. Normally he and Tom would have talked well into the night about the events that happened at the Quidditch World Cup, and now he also desperately wanted to talk about how earlier that day his name had come out of the Goblet of Fire. Talking to Tom had become part of Harry's routine and without him he just felt... lost.

Everyone around Harry was eating dinner and celebrating the fact that the champions had been chosen for the Triwizard Tournament, but Harry couldn't help but notice the stares and whispers directed at him. Even Ron, his best friend in the world besides Tom, wouldn't look him in the eye. They all thought he'd entered himself. Harry quietly excused himself and rushed from the Great Hall. He made his way back to his dorm and collapsed into bed. He stared at the ceiling for a while before deciding to try and get Tom to respond for the hundredth time. He lifted his mattress and removed the old book. Harry ran his thumb along the spine, pondering the planeness of the book for a moment. How had something so seemingly average become such a big part of his life?

Harry opened it, dipped his quill in ink and began.

 _'Hey Tom. Figured it was time to try again. I really don't know if the book stopped working or if you're just... sick of me. I guess talking to the same person for 2 years straight would get tiring, so I get that. It's just that you sort of became my best friend and it feels wrong not talking to you. I miss you.'_ Harry finished lamely. He watched the ink disappear and wondered if that meant the magic that bound Tom was still there. If the book stopped working the words would just sit on the paper instead of disappearing, right? That kept Harry's hope alive.

' _A lot has happened since we last spoke. I think I might be in danger again this year. Not really surprising, right? The only quiet year I've had at Hogwarts was my second year when I met you. But I think someone put my name into the Goblet of Fire. Someone wants me to be in the tournament and I don't know why. I'm scared, but I can't tell anyone I'm scared. I wish you were here."_ That last part was especially true. He'd give just about anything to have Tom physically with him at that moment. He just needed someone to be there for him since Ron didn't seem to want to be and Hermione simply didn't know how.

' _Are you there, Tom? I'm so sorry if something I said upset you. If you respond now, I promise I won't be mad.'_

Harry waited.

He waited longer.

And longer.

 _'You really won't be mad?'_ Harry had never in his life been so simultaneously relieved and angry.

' _WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN'_ Harry wrote furiously.

' _I'm sorry, Harry. I didn't mean to worry you. I just... had a lot to think about.'_

'Well _you couldn't think about it without freaking me out for WEEKS?! It's been weeks Tom! I thought you were gone!'_ Harry was so angry that he didn't notice he was crying.

' _I know I can't ask you to forgive me, but can I explain?'_

 _'You fucking better.'_ Harry hardly ever swore but the occasion seemed to call for it.

' _Harry, I think I was supposed to hurt you.'_ Tom started.

' _Okay, so since you got this random idea that a book boy could hurt me, you dropped off the map?'_ Harry raged.

' _Harry, after you told me about the wizard who tried to kill you, I came to a couple conclusions. Lucius is one of Lord Voldemort's followers, yes? We know for a fact that he wanted to use me to hurt you and the muggle-borns at your school. It's the only thing that makes sense. And I used Dark Magic to put myself in this book. I've been getting stronger Harry... Sometimes my dreams feel more like visions. I see you all the time. And I get flashes of things I've done in the past... I wasn't a good person in my time, Harry. I hurt people. I really, really don't want to hurt you."_ Tom's explanation did nothing but add to Harry's building anger.

' _The only thing you've ever done that hurt me is ignore me for these past weeks. I don't understand how you could do that.'_

 _'I needed to make some decisions.'_

 _'So what miraculous conclusion did you come to?'_

 _'I'm not ever going to hurt you.'_ This made Harry pause. He'd always known the book was dark, and they'd assumed for a while now that Lucius had intended for Tom to negatively effect him somehow. But not once did Harry seriously think that Tom was capable of harming him.

 _'I trust you, Tom. You didn't have to drop off just because of that.'_ Harry hated himself for it, but his anger was starting to dissipate. He missed Tom too much not to forgive him.

' _I'm so sorry Harry. Can you ever forgive me?'_ Tom asked.

' _Of course I can. But you have to make me a promise.'_

 _'Anything.'_

 _'NEVER disappear without warning me ever again.'_

 _'Done.'_ Tom responded without a moments hesitation.

 _'...Fine. I guess I won't throw you into the giant squids lake like I'd planned.'_ Harry teased. He was still upset, but he wanted so badly for things to go back to normal.

' _Harry?'_

 _'Yes Tom?'_

 _'Will you tell me what happened while I was gone?'_ Harry smiled as the words vanished before him.

' _Yes Tom.'_

* * *

 **Two chapters in one night! Wooooo! A few people have asked whether or not I intend to stick to the basic plot line of the Harry Potter books. I do intend to stick to it closely. A few things may change as he gets older since Tom's influence is involved, but the big key points will stay the same. Also, now that I've closed the age gap a little, things may start to get a little bit steamy. Fair warning ;)**

 **~Tiddle~**


	5. Chapter 5

AN - A reviewer pointed this out and I agree that it deserves some explanation. You'll notice that I skipped very large key points in Harry's life. The reason for this is that you already know what happened. I'm not going to write the graveyard scene because in this story it happened exactly as it did in the HP books. For me to type it out would just be redundant. I've decided that it makes more sense to focus on how Harry and Tom deal with these events emotionally. Now that we're past Harry's early years (thank the non existent lord) my storyline will be slowing down. He won't be aging nearly as quickly, and the plot will start shifting a bit more. This is where the story starts to become fun to write.

Thanks for sticking with me my lovelies.

* * *

"Well sir, what do you think?" Harry was sitting across from the Headmaster, having just pleaded his case. Harry stopped his foot from tapping in anticipation. He'd been debating on whether or not he really wanted to ask this of the Headmaster, but Tom had pushed him over the fence. ' _I mean really, the man asks so much of you, and you could benefit greatly from this. Quid pro quo.'_ The book boy had said. And to be quite honest, considering the man had been virtually ignoring him since the year started and even before that, he did feel he was owed. Even now, Albus Dumbledore would not meet his eyes.

"I'm really not sure, Harry. We don't tend to make exceptions when it comes to that particular rule." Dumbledore responded, sounding like his decision was already made. But Harry knew better. He'd known the Headmaster for five years now and he had virtually never told Harry no. Granted, that was because Harry rarely asked for things. He hadn't been raised in an environment that allowed him to ask when he needed something, so this felt very foreign and somewhat uncomfortable.

"I realize it's an unusual request sir, but I have an unusual ability. I'd really like to learn a bit more about it. I think having a snake around consistently will allow me to hone my ability a bit better." Harry stated, trying to sound convincing. Surely the Headmaster wouldn't deny his pupil the ability to learn? Harry tried to suppress his grin when he noticed that familiar twinkle in Dumbledore's averted eyes.

"I suppose I cannot argue with a request that may broaden your mind. However, do try to remember that certain breeds do get very large. I must request that you get one that will not exceed three feet. I don't imagine it would shed a positive light on either of us if the snake I've allowed you to have swallows Mr. Longbottom in his sleep." Harry chuckled at that. If any of them were going to get eaten by a snake in the middle of the night, it would be Neville. It's always Neville.

"Thank you so much sir! I can't wait to tell T- Ron!" Harry mentally berated himself for the near slip. Although, Harry thought to himself, the slip probably wouldn't have mattered. There are a lot of people in the world named Tom. Surely that name wouldn't mean anything to the older man. Harry stood up, getting ready to bid the Headmaster good day.

"Harry, I do have one concern." Harry sat back down. Of course it wouldn't be that easy.

"Yes, sir?" He questioned.

"You know that Voldemort is a parselmouth, correct?" Harry nodded. He'd learned it in his second year when everyone thought he'd told a snake to attack Justin Finch-Fletchley. The rumor that Voldemort was also a parselmouth had quickly gotten around school and some pretty nasty accusations had been made.

"Why do you mention it sir?" Surely the older man didn't think he'd forgotten this fact. Just last year he'd had a vision of Voldemort commanding his snake to kill a man using Parseltongue. It would be hard to forget, especially considering he'd viewed this event in the eyes of the snake. Harry still had nightmares about it.

"Just keep in mind that having a snake and speaking to it in front of others could make them... uncomfortable because of the comparison." Dumbledore warned. This made sense to the boy, but regardless, Harry was instantly offended.

"Are you implying you're afraid that people will think that I'm going to be the next Dark Lord?" Harry asked, clearly annoyed. He'd read the Daily Prophet and he knew about the speculation going around. Harry expected this from the ignorant public, but he did not expect this of the person he, up until this year, had considered a mentor of sorts.

"I'm saying people already do think that. You and I know what happened in that graveyard that night Harry, but others do not believe it. People react dangerously when they're afraid. Don't feed the flames of their fear, Harry." For the first time in months, Dumbledore was looking at him directly. Probably to make sure the message sunk in, Harry figured.

Harry's heart sank at the mention of the graveyard. All feelings of annoyance instantly vanished, replaced by an ache he couldn't quite describe. It was something like guilt and loss all wrapped up in a pretty package of teenage emotion. Cedric had not been his friend, but he had been a good person. He had been kind to him.

 _It should have been me._ Harry couldn't help but think this for the millionth time. He truly believed that it would have been better had he died that day. At least he could have been with his parents, whose spirits he saw in the graveyard when he and Voldemort's wands connected. Cedric, however, left his entire family behind. It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair. And not to mention Voldemort, as strong as ever with his new body...

"Harry?" Dumbledore interrupted his spiral. Harry didn't answer. Any energy he'd had prior to this conversation had been completely zapped. All he could do was stare at the older man emotionlessly. Dumbledore seemed to understand.

"Anyway, my boy, I expect they sell snakes in the pet shop where you bought Hedwig. I advise you keep the snake away from her as well. I don't expect she'll appreciate the competition." Dumbledore changed the subject smoothly. He proceeded to offer Harry a lemon drop and when Harry declined, he sent the raven haired boy on his way. Harry felt like he should feel some sort of joy at having Dumbledore approve his request.

He felt nothing.

* * *

"Oi, Harry! Where've you been?" Ron inquired as Harry walked through the Gryffindor Portrait. He and Hermione were sitting on the common room floor, working on homework. Well, Hermione was working on homework. Considering the fact that Ron's parchment had nothing on it, he assumed his best friend hadn't been doing much at all.

"I went to see the Headmaster." Hermione put her scroll down at that.

"Is everything okay, Harry?" His friends knew about his visions of the Dark Lord's mind and were justifiably concerned for him. But that didn't mean he had to appreciate it.

"Everything's fine Hermione. I just wanted to ask him if it was okay to get a second companion animal." His best friend's eyebrows both rose. He hadn't told them he'd been thinking of getting a snake, merely because he didn't want to be pestered about why. Considering he was bringing one into the dorms though, it seemed about time.

"What animal did you want to get?" Hermione asked.

"Well... I was thinking I'd get a snake." Harry looked down as he said it. He knew Hermione was bright enough to put two and two together and make sense of why he would want that particular pet.

"Oh that's wonderful Harry! I'm so glad you're finally taking your Parseltongue seriously. Really you should have done this years ago. It's such a waste to not use your ability when so few have it." Harry just stared at her, awed. She truly never failed to surprise him.

"Well I think you're right bonkers mate. You may be able to talk to snakes, but why would you want to? They can't be very interesting. What could a snake possibly have to talk about?" Ron scowled, showing just a slight bit of disgust at the prospect. Harry guessed the red headed boy wasn't only afraid of spiders and was perhaps not _that_ excited about having a serpent in his dorm room.

"Snakes need a lot of heat. Do you mind if I let it sleep with you in your bed Ron?" Harry teased. Ron paled significantly.

"You do that and I'll have to request a change of house. But the sorting hat would probably put me in Hufflepuff and that's WAY worse than being eaten by a snake." Ron joked. They all laughed at that, even Hermione. Though she quickly caught herself and indignantly explained all the good qualities of the Hufflepuff House. Harry rolled his eyes. Hermione was ever the open minded one in the group.

"Well I'm going to go upstairs for a bit and work on some Defense homework. It doesn't look like much is getting done down here." Harry stated, looking pointedly at Ron's blank parchment. Ron went a bright shade of red.

"Yes, I suppose it does seem that way." Hermione said, shooting a side eyed glare at Ron. "Good luck, Harry. Umbridge's curriculum is not only annoying and not very functional, it's complicated." Harry sighed deeply. The school year had only just started a bit ago and Umbridge was already proving to be quite a pain in his side. He imagined the feeling was mutual. He promised his friends he'd be down in a bit and made his way to the dorm. It was still early in the evening so most everyone was either getting food or in the common rooms socializing. Harry reveled in the silence for a moment.

He found that ever since the events of last year, he needed a lot more time to himself. Ron and Hermione were amazing, but they were always so _concerned._ Neither would stop asking if he was okay. When he finally did snap at them they'd ceased asking questions, but now they just had this look of pity behind their eyes whenever he was around. Harry couldn't stomach it. He was trying to figure out how to cope and they simply weren't helping. He couldn't bring himself to blame them though. Were the situation in reverse and either of them seemingly in constant danger, Harry would surely be just as distraught as they are.

Harry settled atop his covers and stared at the top bunk for a while. He considered taking Tom out from under his bed to talk, but decided not too just yet. He truly didn't want to talk to anyone right now, and his relationship with Tom had been off ever since he'd told the other boy about Voldemort coming back. Tom, oddly, had gone into a complete frenzy. Harry had never seen the other boy be incoherent, but that night barely anything Tom had said had made sense.

 _'No! Please no. God no. He'll hurt you again. He can't. He can't. I can't.'_

'Tom-"

'Not yet, please not yet, not yet, God, no-'

Harry had tried to calm him, despite not being very calm himself that night. They didn't talk much over the summer after that. Neither seemed to have the energy.

Over the years Harry had often thought that perhaps the boy in the book might be synthetic. Perhaps it truly was just a diary charmed to be there for it's owner. But the night he'd told Tom about Voldemort's return and the boy in the book reacted in such a way, it erased any doubt Harry had ever had. Tom was a real person. He existed.

Ever since Harry'd had that realization he'd toyed with the idea of trying to release Tom from the book. Wouldn't it be nice to have his best friend there with him in the flesh? To cry on a real shoulder, instead of shedding tears onto the pages of a book, watching the book absorb them eerily? But no, Tom had said he'd used very dark magic to place himself there. Tom was unwilling to tell him what spell he'd used exactly, and in order to get any more information he'd likely have to enlist the help of Hermione. He rolled his eyes as he imagined how that conversation would go.

'Hey Hermione! I've been talking to this book for like, years. I'm pretty sure he's a real guy. Apparently he had to do something really terrible to get himself in there in the first place. Want to help me get him out?'

Yeah, no. Not likely. She'd drag him kicking and screaming to the Headmaster, lecturing him the whole way. She'd tried to do as much when she'd found out about the Marauders map in their third year. He knew this would be much worse. It looked like this secret would remain his and his alone. Harry shrugged to himself. It was one of many.

Seeing as he couldn't get his mind off of Tom, he decided to break out the journal after all. He leaned over the side of his bed and dug around for his cloak. He always hid Tom's journal in his invisibility cloak. They were, after all, his two most prized possessions. Harry propped the book on his lap and reached over to grab the new quill that Hermione had gotten him for his birthday. It magically produced ink so he didn't need a pot. At the time Harry had forced a smile and tried to seem genuine when he thanked her, but now days he actually really appreciated the gift. It made writing in bed much easier. Harry wondered to himself how wizards could perform magic but couldn't manage to invent a pen.

' _Tom, I just got back.'_ Harry started. He sat back and waited. For someone who had very little to do, seeing as he was a book, Tom occasionally took a moment to write back. A soft smile spread across his face as he saw Tom's stunning script.

' _Good evening Harry. Did you have your meeting with the Headmaster?_ '

 _'I did. It went well. I'm buying a snake next time I'm in Hogsmeade, which should only be a few more weeks.'_ Harry explained.

 _'That's wonderful Harry! I think you'll love having one. I had many at the orphanage, but of course I couldn't take them with me.'_ Tom and Harry had bonded over their shared experience as orphans long ago, but it wasn't something they talked about very much. Neither liked talking about their parents, but for very different reasons. Apparently Tom's parents hadn't been good people.

' _What do you think I should get?_ ' Harry asked, changing the subject for the other boy.

' _Something giant_.' Tom responded instantly. Harry chuckled. Go big or go home, right?

 _'I'd love to have something giant, but I have a 3 foot minimum._ ' Harry explained.

 _'Leave it to Dumbledore to take the fun out of everything. Perhaps a ball python then? Most don't get past two or three feet. Rarely they get to about five at the largest._ ' Harry loved how much Tom knew. He thought that perhaps in a different life, Tom and Hermione would have been great friends. They both had amazing minds.

 _'Yes, that sounds like a fine idea. I'll have to start thinking of names. I'll definitely need your help with that._ '

' _Of course you will. Your owl's name is Hedwig._ ' Harry glared at the book as if he expected Tom to feel it.

 _'Hedwig is a fine, strong name. It's German._ ' Harry countered.

' _Are you German?'_ Tom asked.

 _'Well, no but-'_

 _'Then there's no excuse. You may as well have named her Hildegarde_.' Harry knew Tom was just pushing his buttons like he so often did, but he bristled anyway.

 _'If I ever get you out of this book I'm going to hit you_.' Harry said, only partially joking.

'Never mention that again.' The response was instant and fierce. It was a tone Tom had never used with him before. Even his handwriting was a little bit different. It was sharper. Tom was... angry.

' _What? Why not? I mean I know why you went in initially, but it can't have been worth it, can it?_ ' Harry asked.

 _'It's fine as long as I have you. I did this Harry. Please, do not try to fix my mistake. Please._ ' Tonight was filled with so many firsts. Tom had never begged him. However, Harry couldn't let this go so easily.

 _'What happens when I can't do this any longer? Let's be real Tom. Voldemort's back. Who know's how much longer I have? If I die, you'll be lost. There's no telling where you'd go, or if you'd ever even be opened again. We have to get you out._ ' Harry pushed.

 _'I cannot. Leave. This book. I can't Harry. I made a promise to you a very long time ago that I fully intend to keep.'_ Tom went on.

 _'Promise? What promise? You promised me you'd never leave the book? I don't recall that._ ' Harry was getting annoyed at this point. Why was Tom being so obstinate?

 _'I promised you I wouldn't hurt you, Harry_.' Oh, well, that answered all of nothing. Harry still had no idea what that had to do with anything they were talking about.

 _'Can you explain how me freeing you would hurt me? Not that I even know if I can, but why shouldn't I try? You obviously want things to be different. You've told me as much._ ' If Tom didn't start giving him answers, Harry would only get more and more aggressive.

' _Harry, trust me. Please. Lets just leave well enough alone. One day when you're one hundred years old and you die in your sleep, I will join you in that slumber. I don't have any intention of leaving the confines of these pages. It would drain you_.' Tom stated firmly. Though really shouldn't have let that last sentence slip.

 _'I'm sorry, drain me? Are you trying to tell me you actually know how to leave the journal?_!' Harry wrote furiously. This was amazing news!

 _'I'm saying that yes, I do know how, and no I can't leave. Are you not listening? It would hurt you. If I so much as showed myself to you, it would drain a great deal of your energy._ ' Harry's mind went into a frenzy.

 _'I- I could see you?_ ' He'd hardly even noticed the other not so pleasant parts of Tom's sentence. He could see him. He could finally see the friend who had gotten him through his third year when he'd learned that Sirius Black was his godfather, not a murderous psychopath. He'd been there last year when Harry had cried and cried over Cedric's death. He wanted nothing more in the world than to be able to be in the presence of his dearest friend.

 _'I'll do anything_.' Harry wrote.

 _'What?_ ' Came the quick response.

 _'Drain me. Take whatever you need. I want to see you._ ' Harry's decision was absolute. He would make Tom show himself.

' _Harry, I promised._ ' Tom wrote.

 _'Fuck your promise. I want to see you. Take it. Take it all, I don't care._ ' Harry knew Tom would realize he was serious now. The bespectacled boy hardly swore, even now that he was older.

' _You don't care? What do you mean you don't care?_ ' Tom asked, concerned.

 _'I mean what I said. It's worth passing out if we get to actually meet. Hell, I'd give my life if it meant you could be here.'_ Harry wrote. At first he'd meant it as an exaggeration, but he soon realized he'd meant every word. He would in fact give his life if it meant Tom could have one.

Seeing as this was a night of firsts, perhaps Harry shouldn't have been surprised when the book snapped itself shut. Harry jumped, startled. He just stared at the leather bound journal for a moment, stunned. Curiously, he tested the cover to see if he could open it. The journal didn't budge. Tom, it seemed, was done talking for the night.

Harry scowled. He'd felt like he was really getting somewhere there. He would make Tom show himself if he had to threaten to burn the damn book. Something he'd never actually do, of course. What was he so worried about anyway? Draining a bit of Harry's energy? It seemed like a fair trade.

Harry figured he probably wasn't getting anywhere with the older boy tonight and pulled out his books to attempt his homework. After about five minutes of being thoroughly confused, he padded down the stairs calling, "Hermione! I need your help!"

When he turned the corner he saw that she was already beaming up at him, excited to finally have a willing pupil.

* * *

The next night after everyone went to bed, Harry tried to talk to Tom again. He was a bit concerned that Tom may not let him open the book, but fortunately it seemed he'd calmed down since they last spoke. The journal opened easily.

'Let's go somewhere.' The text showed up on the page the second he cracked it open. Tom had been waiting for him.

'What do you mean, somewhere? Where could you possibly want to go?' Harry inquired.

'Somewhere private. Somewhere we won't be bothered. Go, and open me again when we get there.' Tom demanded. Harry's face lit up with anticipation. This could only mean one thing. He shut the book, not bothering to respond.

It was well after midnight already. Harry cast a quick silencing charm around himself and grabbed his invisibility cloak and his map. He made his way quickly and quietly to the hall where the Room of Requirement laid. Harry paced in front of the doors three times.

 _'I need somewhere private to talk. I need somewhere private to talk. I need somewhere private to-"_ The door appeared. Harry double checked his map to make sure no one was around. After deducing that the coast was clear he ducked inside, closing the door gently behind himself.

He walked into a cozy cottage living room. There was a large red couch in the middle of the room, directly across from a stone fire place. Harry settled onto the couch and got comfortable. He was about to open the book when he realized that in his excitement, he'd forgotten his quill.

Which, of course, did not matter. The second he thought about it, there was a quill on the coffee table between him and the fireplace. Harry smirked, picked it up, and opened the book.

The effects were instant. Harry understood then what Tom had meant. For a moment, it felt like someone had punched him in the stomach. It felt as though he'd just run a couple miles, and Harry absolutely detested running. Harry fell off of the couch, holding his stomach and coughing.

"Oh come now, I didn't even take that much. Don't be so dramatic." Harry's coughing ceased. He looked up.

Before him stood a slightly transparent, slightly shimmering Tom Riddle. It had been years since Harry's dream about the boy with amber eyes, so he felt like he was seeing Tom for the first time now. And really, he was. Tom was tall. Probably around six foot. He dwarfed Harry, who had always been too short for his liking. The boy had chiseled cheek bones and wavy brown hair. He stood in front of Harry with a poise Harry'd never had. Tom wore robes with the Slytherin crest, but Harry figured he could look past that.

"Tom." Was all Harry could seem to muster. He did feel tired, but the shock of seeing his friend standing before him was more than enough to distract his mind. Harry stood and walked towards him slowly, reaching out to touch his beautifully shimmering friend. Harry's hand passed through his arm as if Tom were a ghost.

"My apologies Harry, this is a bit of a test run. I only used a small portion of your energy to make my form, so I'm not completely corporeal. You can't touch me." Tom explained. Harry scowled. That sort of defeated the purpose, but he would take his wins where he could get them.

"What changed your mind? Why did you decide it would be okay to show me?" Harry asked. He certainly wasn't complaining, but Tom's tune had changed very quickly. Normally when the boy said he wasn't going to budge on something, he stuck to it. Harry still didn't know what spell Tom had used to get in the journal in the first place, and Harry now realized it was probably because Tom hadn't wanted Harry to try and get him out.

"You said something that disturbed me." Tom's ghostly body sat on the couch and he patted the seat next to him, indicating Harry should sit as well. Harry noted how odd it was that Tom's patting made no sound. He sat down and waited for the Slytherin to continue.

"You said you'd die." Tom looked at him directly in the eyes as he said this. It made Harry uncomfortable.

"Is that what this is all about? Well if it gets you out of that damn book, I should bring up my death more often." Harry joked. He was sure Tom would drop it once he saw how lighthearted Harry was being, but unfortunately for Harry that was not how tonight was going to go.

"You meant it." Tom accused. Harry looked at his feet. While he hadn't necessarily meant it so seriously when he'd written that to Tom, he couldn't deny that the idea of death was... alluring as of late. Wouldn't it be nice to just be peaceful? To not have a mad man chasing after you and killing anyone who was near you? Harry imagined it would be nice indeed. Even if there was no afterlife, if death truly was nothingness, that was okay with Harry. He looked at Tom and said nothing. He'd only just truly met the boy. He wasn't going to start lying to him already.

"Your life is so valuable, Harry." Tom stated, looking stern. The older boy was obviously taking this seriously. His posture was absolutely rigid.

"Is that supposed to make me feel better? I don't _want_ to be valuable. I want to be completely average. I don't want to attract all of this chaos. I don't want _any_ of it!" Harry could feel tears beginning to burn his eyes but he pushed them back. He absolutely refused to cry in front of Tom. Not now, not so soon.

"Harry, do you think I give a single shite about what everyone else thinks? I'm not saying you're valuable because the wizarding world needs you to fight in a war you want nothing to do with. I'm saying you're valuable to me. I have been by your side for three years Harry. It's where I intend to stay. I want to be with you. I want to help you." Tom's honestly was almost too much for him. Harry found himself... embarrassed? Why was he so flustered? This may have been the first time they were talking in person, but it wasn't as if they hadn't spoken like this before. Tom's entire nature was blunt. Harry should have been used to it, but something about being able to look in his eyes made the entire experience harder. Better.

This was so much better.

"I wish I could touch you." Harry said quietly. How lovely it would be to lean on Tom's shoulder then. To listen to the other boys heart beat while they sat quietly and watched the fire. But no, he couldn't touch him. He could only watch as Tom brought a ghostly hand to Harry's face and cupped it. If only he could feel it. He craved physical comfort. Yearned for it.

"I'm sorry. This year has been hard. I won't bring it up again." Harry promised. He didn't want to distress Tom. He felt terrible that his words had caused so much worry.

"That's exactly what I don't want Harry! That's why I'm here. You have to _talk_ to me. You have to tell me when you're thinking these things. We have to work through it. Do you think I'm going to allow you to suffer alone, Harry? Like your Weasel friend and the muggle born? Absolutely not. From here on out, you tell me everything." Tom leaned over so that he was whispering into Harry's ear. "Everything."

Harry shuddered. That had made him feel... odd. Like the pit of his stomach was sinking. Harry couldn't actually feel Tom Riddle's breath, but his imagination was doing a great job of making him feel like he could.

"I should go now Harry. The longer I stay in this form, the more dangerous it is. I won't be able to talk again tonight either. This takes energy on my end as well." Tom told him.

"Already?" Harry frowned. "When can we do this again? We will do this again, right?" Harry looked at Tom hopefully. The other boy took a moment to respond.

"I suppose we can't go backwards. Now that you know I can do this, I don't imagine you'll let it go." Tom said sounding mildly annoyed.

"Nope, I won't!" Harry grinned. "I'm pissed you didn't tell me you could do this a long time ago. Why didn't you?"

Tom paused again. "We'll discuss that at a later time. I believe it's time for my nap. Goodnight, Harry." Tom leaned over again and pressed a ghostly kiss on Harry's cheek. Harry inhaled sharply, stunned.

And then he was alone.

Harry didn't go back to Gryffindor tower right away. He lied on the crimson couch and pondered his conversation with Tom. Harry tried to place the feelings currently coursing through his being. Was this... happiness? Was he happy? It had been months since he'd felt like this. But Tom Riddle's concern over his mental well being had made him happy. For whatever reason, it meant a great deal to him. Tom had broken his promise because he knew Harry needed it. And really, feeling like he'd run a few miles hardly counted as being hurt. It was just so sudden of a feeling that it had been shocking. Next time he'd be prepared.

Harry couldn't wait for next time.

 **AN – Slowly but surely.**


End file.
